3 demands Babar Azam must fulfill to make successful T20I comeback for Pakistan

Issues Babar must resolve before T20I comeback [Source: AFP Photo]

It seems like the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has learned from its mistakes and if the reports are to be believed, then Babar Azam, who was dropped from the T20I squad and the Asia Cup team, will be brought back in the squad for the South Africa T20I series at home. His replacements failed in the marquee Asian tournament, and PCB has decided to recall Babar.

However, it won’t be an understatement to say that PCB will have certain expectations from Babar if they are willing to get him back in the side. The batter was heavily criticised in the past, and here are 3 key expectations the Pakistan team will have from their star batter.

1) Improve the strike rate

Pakistan coach, Mike Hesson’s biggest complaint with Babar was the fact that he played at a slow pace in T20Is, and the modern-day version needs an aggressor, someone who can score freely. Before being dropped, his T20I strike rate was a meagre 129, which reflects his slow nature of T20I batting.

(Babar Azam T20I stats)

• This was the main reason why he was dropped from the squad, and if on his comeback, Babar doesn’t work on it, then he could once again be shown the exit door. A strike rate of less than 130 reflected his timid T20I approach, and he needs to work on it.

2) Win matches for Pakistan

One of the main complaints people have with Babar is the fact that he never scores runs in big matches, and has never helped Pakistan win knockout/ series decider matches. In the 2021 T20 World Cup, he scored 303 runs, but it came at a strike rate of just 126. He performed exceedingly well in group stage matches, but in knockouts, he scored just 39 off 34 in the semis as Pakistan lost the match.

(Babar scores in T20 WC knockouts)

• As the scores reflect, his strike rate is questionable; moreover, in the three knockout games, Pakistan lost two, and Babar was one of the reasons for the loss.
• Hence, in big games, Pakistan would expect Babar to finally step foot on the accelerator and win matches for them.

3) Potential captaincy candidate

Current Pakistan T20I captain, Salman Ali Agha, hasn’t done anything significant with the bat, and as per reports, his place is under threat if Pakistan fail to beat India in the Asia Cup final. Hence, Babar has a chance to reclaim the captaincy if he delivers the goods against South Africa and shows his leadership skills on the tour.

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